By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
INWOOD — The popular but controversial Mamajuana Café on Dyckman Street will live to serve another drink, despite years of residents' complaints about the restaurant at community board meetings and police precinct meetings.
But it seems that a lack of communication may be the reason the restaurant's application for a liquor license renewal sailed through the State Liquor Authority.
Early in June, Community Board 12’s Economic Development committee — which serves in an advisory role to the SLA — tabled its vote on Mamajuana's liquor license in anticipation of an upcoming visit from SLA Chairman Dennis Rosen on June 15.
However, the board wasn't aware the liquor license renewal was actually granted back on June 14, the day before Rosen toured the Dyckman Street area in response to complaints about the two-block stretch.
SLA spokesman William Crowley explained that the commissioner’s visit was to observe the area in general — not Mamajuana specifically. Crowley said that the SLA had already reviewed and approved the restaurant's application as it had not received any objections to it and had no documentation of “adverse history or even complaints on the licensee.”
“We review thousands of application,” Crowley said. “There is nothing here that would make us not issue a renewal. If we find places that are making a community intolerable or if we receive notice from community boards or the police, we would take that into consideration. But we did not in this case.”
The SLA had already made its decision by the time the Community Board went ahead and voted against a new liquor license for Mamajuana on June 22.
Representatives for Community Board 12 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mamajuana's owner, Vincent Osorio, said he was pleased the SLA chose to renew his liquor license, but still plans to work with residents, community board and elected officials in the area to continue improving his relationship with the community.
“I am very happy of course, my liquor license is very important to my business,” he said, “but it’s not like I got approved and now I just walk away.”
